Onesimus: The African Who Helped Defeat Smallpox
By: Jordan Meadows Staff Writer The story of Onesimus, an enslaved African man in 18th-century Boston, is one of perseverance and quiet revolution-whose ripples are still felt today in the global fight against infectious diseases. His knowledge of smallpox inoculation, passed down through generations of Africans, played a pivotal role in introducing the practice of variolation to America. This intervention not only saved lives during a devastating smallpox outbreak in